New parking-enforcement vehicle watching Fort Collins' drivers

Feb. 23, 2014

Fort Collins has a new golf cart-sized vehicle that officers are using to enforce parking laws. / Trevor Hughes/The Coloradoan

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You may have noticed a new golf cart-like vehicle zipping around Fort Collins’ Old Town area — and it most certainly has noticed your car if you’ve parked in the area.

The cart is mounted with multiple cameras and is being used by the city’s parking enforcement officers to efficiently hand out tickets to people who violate parking rules, such as two-hour limits.

Fort Collins uses the automated license-plate reader system to recognize every parked car it passes, tying the cameras to a GPS to track its location. The system automatically alerts the driver whenever it passes a vehicle that’s been parked in an area too long, or is a frequent parking offender. The officer can then hop out and tuck a ticket or warning under the windshield wipers.

The system keeps a database of every license plate it photographs in order to allow parking officers to defend their actions during the court process. Parking enforcers previously used a pickup to carry the license-plate reader. The pickup required officers to operate the reader system, meaning the new, smaller vehicle is more efficient.

Fort Collins is in the process of expanding its residential parking permit program, which the parking officers also enforce. The program allows neighborhoods to voluntarily enroll in a parking-enforcement zone, giving parking officers the power to ticket cars parked there too long. The program is intended to help neighborhoods maintain their residential feel by keeping out student or business parking. It also is enforced using a vehicle-mounted license plate reader.

The Spring Court neighborhood off College Avenue near Dairy Queen is the first residential neighborhood to request and vote in parking enforcement. Residents’ first permits are free; the second is $15; the third $40; the fourth $100; and the fifth $200. Revenues go to cover the cost of RP3 signs and enforcement. Tickets for parking in a zone without a permit are $25.